May 2021 - Week 1

 To Lawn or not to Lawn

One of my biggest projects for now and the future is to reduce the amount of turf in the yard.  I do not like lawns, they take a lot of care and maintenance, are environmentally unsustainable (watering during dry periods, gas used for mowing, rolling aerating etc, concrete like surface adding to water run-off problems) do not contribute to biodiversity, and are just about the biggest statement of colonialism you can put in the garden. So, mine are being phased out.

When we first moved here we had 'beautiful' expanses of emerald green grass at the back and the front of the house.  Over the past 6 years they have been gradually degrading through lack of attention and I have been intentionally reducing the amount of space they take up by:

• Extending existing and creating new flower and veg gardens (see later posts)
• Reseeding areas where the grass has failed with a more sustainable grass alternative

Last fall I seeded an area in the back with Easy Care Envirolawn from West Coast Seeds.  This is a mix of grass and flowers that can be mown or not and should be drought tolerant.  I'm not sure if you could regularly play tennis on it but I think it will cope with the light foot traffic of my garden activities and Jacob feeding the birds from time to time.

The instructions for this mix suggest that 'over-seeding existing lawn may not work, since the seeds need to be in direct contact with soil.'  Given the very poor state of the turf I was replacing I went for a compromise and extreme scarified the tired old grass, removed the dandelions and sowed straight in amongst what was left.  It seems to have worked fairly well, here's that area today in it's pre-mown state:

Over-wintered envirolawn - May 2, 2021

and here's a piece of lawn that I didn't get around to reseeding for comparison:

Left, Envirolawn mix.  Right, regular 'grass' lol

Stats:

West Coast Seeds, Easy Care Envirolawn

Sown: September 11, 2020

Photographed: May, 2 2021

Jobs for this week

• Scarify and reseed another area of the back lawn - see above.
• Prune Hydrangea, Hybrid Tea and Forsythia May 4 2021.  Took about 1/4 to 1/3 off the Hydrangea and the Hybrid Tea and tidied up the dead bits.  Massacred the Forsythia as it was completely out of control.  Lol.  Hope it doesn't die.
• Recycle old trash can into compost bin May 7 2021.  All done and waiting to go in the garage
• Asist Jacob sowing sunflowers for birds
• Plant out shrubs and berry plants May 7 2021. Planted Shadblow Serviceberry, Witch Hazel and Dogwoods, Red Osier and Little Rebel.  Did not plant berries as I need to put in a support system first.
• Try to do something about the mouse in the herb bed before it eats everything May 4 2021.  Dumped a whole lot of topsoil all over the holes the little blighter has been digging and set up a couple of rat proof (hopefully) traps.  Sorry mice but they're not the horrid poison and this has got to stop.
• Pick up bare root apple trees from Silver Creek Nursery  May 08 2021.  Done and planted in pots, not pruned yet as I'm waiting for a book from the library.
• Sort out Dahlias May 4 2021.  Potted up, watered left outside in makeshift cold frame.  Also repotted the elephant ears that I may have accidentally overwintered in the garage.  Brought that one inside for a bit more heat.  Fingers crossed.

Extra bits and bobs

May 4.  In addition to celebrating Star Wars Day (not) and getting a whole lot of potting and destruction done (see 'pruning' above) I also called at the garden center for potting soil and accidentally also bought: 1 x witch hazel, 1 x Red Osier Dogwood, 3 x Heavy Metal Switch Grasses and a small pot of chives.  How do these things just jump into the basket?

May 7.  Did lots so here's a list - I do like a list:

• Moved Mahonia to a more sheltered and shady spot in the woodland bed
• Planted some foxglove seedlings that I potted up last autumn into the minefield near the new Serviceberry
• Also Put in three sedums that were rescued from in front of the old deck
• Moved Hosta 'June' from a pot to the woodland bed behind Geranium 'Boom Chocolata'
• Weeded the woodland garden and mulched with spent compost

May 8.  Collected bare root plants from Silver Creek Nursery.  See above.  Also put rhubarb in the ground and left the comfrey in pots will locate in the berry patch when I've got the place organized and mostly Hosta free.

What's poppin' in the garden?

• Potted tulips popping out, flaming flag just opening up
• Muscari down by the wood
• Clematis 'Volunteer' coming up strong and being eaten by mice
• I think that Clematis 'Countess of Wessex' is also coming through
• Overwintered garlic looking good
• The daffodils in the front garden have given their best show ever
• Baby Blue-eyes that I've been leaving to grow in the 'grass' is looking great
• So are the violets
• And the dandelions but I'm actually going to take those out
• Forget me nots in the edible bed
• A single trillium 😀
• Flower buds on the black currants I put in last spring
• First rhubarb stems made into muffins
• 2 raccoons, a skunk and an opossum on the trail cam last week
• Mrs Dee and her 7 eggs are looking a treat in the bird box see the link on the left
• Cabbage White and Karner Blue butterflies

Look carefully, there's another one in the background

I think this is called Baby Blue-eyes and it is welcome in my lawn

Muscari

Well done Mrs Dee, only another week of sitting and its all beaks on deck

Slightly blurry attempt at artsy rhubarb muffin lol